Sleep disorders/ dreams

Sleep apnea

Snoring & experiencing trouble breathing to the point of choking (Mild, Moderate, & Severe)

Causes:

• The uvula is excessively large

• Obesity

• Skull/Face malformation

Narcolepsy

Suddenly fall into REM sleep for no more than 2 min

• Affects an estimated 1 in every 2,000 people in the US

• About 50% of people with narcolepsy are undiagnosed

Causes:

• Little is known about the causes*

• Genetics

• Neurotransmitter malfunction

Sleep terrors

Scream during Stage 3 NREM & can’t remember why

• Common in young children

Causes:

• Genetics

• Neurotransmitter malfunction

RLS: restless leg syndrome

Involuntary muscle movement (usually legs) while sleeping

Causes: 

• Anxiety issues

• Periods of high stress

Somnambulism

ehave/walk while they are in stage 3 NREM sleep

• Genetics → 10x more likely with a family history

Causes: 

• Periods of high stress

•  Drug use/abuse

•  Sleep deprived/chaotic sleep schedules

•  Anxiety issues

Nightmare disorder

Long & frightening dreams, which they can somewhat remember; occurs WEEKLY

Causes:

• Stress

• Increase brain activity in the hypothalamus

Insomnia

If they cannot sleep more than 1 or 2 hours a night

Causes:

• Stress

• Poor sleep habits (Circadian Rhythm)

• Stimulant use

• Anxiety/depression

cataplexy

Experiencing muscle weakness associated with REM sleep while awake 

• Typically occurs with narcolepsy

Causes:

• Wake up from REM before the body is ready

• Neurotransmitter malfunction

REM sleep behavior sleep disorder

Acting out vivid dreams (often violent) during REM sleep

Causes:

• Medication side-effects

• Neurological conditions (ie: Parkinson’s) - lack of Atonia in your pons (this controls muscle tension)

• Use or withdrawal of alcohol or other drugs

Dreams

• Any mental activity (thought)  that can occur during sleep

1st dreams

Vague leftover thoughts from the day

• Occurs when you first lie down

• Info-processing

• Include everyday surroundings

• Not very interesting

Freud’s Psychoanalytical Theory on Dreams

Dreams provide clues about our unknown thoughts, wishes, fears, and desires

• Believed dreams are the “royal road” to the unconscious mind

• Vivid

Manifest content

• The physical events of the dream

Latent content

• The underlying meaning of the dream

Activation- synthesis modeal

Neurons are firing NTs, and the cerebral cortex is trying to figure it out

• Neurons fire random signals during REM sleep

• Your cerebral cortex tries to make sense of the information, so they create a dream

Cognitive theory

Dreams let us address and figure out problems

• Supported by the fact that REM sleep increases after periods of high stress and intense learning

Consolidation theory

Dreams are a result of memory consolidation that happens while we sleep